The Jersey City Independent "

Photo: Tone

58 Gallery scores another coup with its exhibition of seminal street photographer Ricky Powell that opens this Thursday. Powell, a native New Yorker, made a name for himself chronicling New York City’s burgeoning hip-hop scene and the art world boom of the mid-’80s.

He has photographed Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Eric B. and Rakim, Slick Rick, Eazy E, Method Man, LL Cool J, Fab 5 Freddy, Keith Harring, Doze, Andy Warhol, Nina Hagen, Mike Tyson, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Sofia Coppola, to name a few. When he is not behind the camera, he is designing sneakers and T-shirts.

Powell is neither celebrity stalker nor paparazzi. He is who he is, and he photographs what and whom he knows: the street corner, the playground, and the people he ran the streets with.

We recently sat down with founder of 58 Gallery, Orlando Reyes, to discuss the Ricky Powell exhibition and the state of affairs at the gallery.

You run 58 Gallery in Jersey City. How did you get started, and why here?

I started the gallery with a friend, fellow artist Mario Monroy, about eight years ago now. I did it here for multiple reasons.

1. The place is owned by another fellow artist and partner John Besante, and he allowed me to start the gallery side of the art studio. The place has had many incarnations from a glass factory to a photographer’s studio to its current incarnation.

2. I wanted to do it in my hometown. I wanted kids in the neighborhood to have some sort of art influence early in life, even if it just seeing it through the window of the space.

3. I saw a need for a venue for a lot of talent that was around me before and after the dismantling of the 111 First St. and almost every other attempt for an independent art movement and scene to occur in this town.

Jersey City is not the easiest place to run an art space. It’s littered with bodies: 111 First Street, Cooke Contemporary, Residue, Mana Fine Arts, Nobis Gallery; Jersey City Museum is open five hours a week. 58 Gallery is still here, thriving. What is your secret to 58 Gallery’s longevity and continued relevance?

Sadly, you’re right. I’m not sure why in a town that markets to every developer the “rich artist community,” is running an art gallery so hard.

I am right now being harassed by the city to change my zoning, because I am in violation of some antiquated law about zoning and how to deal with 21st century artist spaces. So I find myself under some archaic law of illegal assembly … really?

Now, the secret is first and foremost my landlord/partner John Besante. He has let me have free rein to pursue the idea of exposing art to the masses in an informal and communal way. John is a 3rd or 4th generation Jersey City boy who has decided to give back to his town in the form of renting most of his spaces to artists, or for the artists’ cause. Also, Tony Susco who helps me out in ways I couldn’t even start to explain — if god is in the details then Tony is godlike in my eyes. The help I get from many of the artists that support my space is another big key.

I think another is the informality of my space; it’s an artist run gallery which allows the artist to think about the show from a different perspective. Some artists really take advantage of that aspect of the space. I like to think of it as a hub for art and artists to be able to express themselves. I wish I could do more.

I am an artist, so I think that helps in the selection of the shows. My shows are not necessarily based on commercial viability, so it gives me the freedom to really pick some thought-provoking shows.

On the flip side to all that, right now I am facing financial problems — between the zoning and variance issues and the economy — that threaten to close down the whole place. We need the support of the city, the community, and maybe a couple of financial angels to continue or soon there will be another body added to the butcher’s list. Newark is actually seeking out galleries and artists. Hmmm?

Tell us about 58′s upcoming exhibition. Who is Ricky Powell, what does he have to do with 58 Gallery, and why should everyone in a thousand mile radius of Jersey City come to the gallery to see the show?

Legendary street photographer Ricky Powell is known to many as the most important lensman of the early days of hip hop, having worked closely with the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC and other original Def Jam artists. The thing about Powell’s work though, which is instantly recognizable in his photos, is that he wasn’t just a member of the staff or a guy hired to take pictures, he was a respected part of this small circle of pioneers. And it was that bond that he shared with them that allowed him the unlimited access that other photographers would kill for. The shots he captured are surprisingly unguarded and something truly special.

We’ll be presenting about 25 of Powell’s best photos from the 1985-95 era while also showing classic Rappin’ With The Rickster clips continually throughout.

Bottom line is: if you’re going to catch one show in the area this summer … make it this one. Trust me.

How did the exhibition come about?

Through mutual friends I was introduced to Nick Boragi, who specializes in vintage photos and has worked with several major auction houses on the East Coast. Recently, he began working with Rick to produce his photographs in a series of limited editions. At the time we met they were looking for a local venue to kickoff Powell’s summer tour, and after seeing our space they agreed that 58 was the perfect place to do just that.

But it goes so much deeper than the venue. We felt that Jersey City’s diverse community and Rick’s broad range of work would mesh perfectly. Most people think of him as the fourth Beastie Boy and Def Jam’s earliest photographer but his photos go far beyond the realm of hip-hop. Whether it was on the street or at a party he crashed, he captured some of the most influential artists, celebrities, athletes, and New York personalities of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ricky’s range is wide; he hits from all angles. He photographed Warhol, Keith Haring, and Laurence Fishburne, and he even managed to capture Sophia Coppola. If you could ask Ricky to photograph any Jersey City personality, who would it be, and why?

My dog Chance, the real boss at the 58, and me.

58 Gallery usually pulls no punches for an opening reception. What can you tell us about opening night? What will be the appetizer and drink of the day…? Do you anticipate any special guests…?

Well, this opening night will be no different; we’ll be throwing haymakers from the opening bell. To start the night, Powell will be staging his world famous slide show. We’re talking about 90 minutes of raw and uncut Ricky getting his Dean Martin on, hosting commentary over a collection of his favorite photos. After that we’ll be hosting a party in honor of the show. There will be some Def Jam classics on the ones and twos, and maybe even a breakdance battle.

Who will be Jerry Lewis to Sammy Davis Jr. Ricky Powell’s Dean Martin?

Well if you’ve been to one of my openings you know there is a whole cast of characters to fill that slot — I guess whoever steps up to the plate.

Did you watch Ricky public access show Rappin with the Rickster? Is there a chance Ricky will get in front of the camera to film an encore presentation at 58?

Unfortunately, I never caught it when it was on the air because I didn’t have cable. My friends and I passed around bootlegged VHS copies of his show, though, until we nearly wore through the tape. He actually just released a Rappin’ With The Rickster double DVD which features all the “best of” moments from the show. So I guess I can finally get rid of my VCR.

Any time there is a camera present you’re guaranteed to capture a nugget or two of Rickster gold, but as for an encore … I wouldn’t expect one that night. I just don’t see his show ending anytime soon.

Let’s discuss Jersey City a bit. You were born and raised in Jersey City. How has the neighborhood changed since you were a kid? How has the art scene changed?

Well, we all know the obvious changes. Everyone always says, ‘Oh man it was bad back then,’ … but growing up here, I don’t remember it being that bad, and now as I look at it historically it was bad in a lot of urban places in the ’70s as people abandoned cities for suburban “bliss.” But the people that stayed in the city, although poor, were not bad people — there are bad apples in every part of the orchard.

I look back fondly on growing up in Jersey City in the ’80s. Now it is marketed and sold to all the kids of those people who left the city, and they are moving back in droves trying to change the city into a suburban environment. I feel this impact in the number of noise complaints that the police tell me they get about me — unless it’s the police that don’t like art gatherings? Or it’s the city not having a proper entertainment ordinance? And no one in a leadership role is addressing the issue.

I’m not sure why its changed, but it did and it hasn’t changed for the better. There were always artists in Jersey City because of its proximity to NYC, going back to the 1800s. But now it seems as if the city just needs us to sell condos. I think it is backwards thinking in the 21st century. I am at a point of moving the 58 to Newark, where they actually care about the art that is made in their city. Rather than waging war against their artists, they seem to be nourishing and encouraging it.

So do you plan to move 58 Gallery to Newark in the immediate future? What would it take for you to keep 58 in Jersey City?

58 Gallery is staying put for a minute, but I’m really keeping my eyes opened to how we as an artists community continue to be treated. But I’m hoping that the issues we have can be resolved. I am about keeping it local. I think that people have to have pride in Jersey City. I want to thrive in my city — what’s better than that? “Hometown boy makes good” — I like the way that sounds. I’m not trying to move away, I like Jersey City and am proud to be from here.

What is your favorite restaurant? Who has the best jukebox, and where can you find a decent cup of coffee?  

Favorite is Madame Claude’s — they treat me so well I feel like I’m home when I go in there. Best jukebox, I’d have to say Lucky 7′s. They have a DJ or live music almost every night — love that. Decent cup of coffee, the Stockinette has certainly the friendliest coffee around but also the best. Yulie’s Place on Coles makes the best cafe con leche around — only a buck.

What should residents new to Jersey City know about their new home, and why?

What makes a city cool are the residents — it’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at. Activate, agitate and eat healthy, make things happen. Let’s support local businesses, let’s support art spaces, let’s support anything that raises the bar of this city and not support a small-town mentality in the big city, or suffer the sleeper-town curse.

Ricky Powell: The Silver Anniversary Show opens with a reception Thursday, July 15 at 7 pm at 58 Gallery, 58 Coles St.

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